Child-like Faith: Then and Now (#8)

When I was around 4 years old, our teachers told us the story of The Gingerbread Man. In the story, there was a little old man and a little old woman who lived alone in a little old cottage.

One day, the little old woman decided to make a gingerbread man cookie. She made the gingerbread dough, rolled it out, and cut out the gingerbread man. After giving him two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and buttons down his chest, she placed him in the oven to bake.

When the little old woman went to check on him, as soon as she opened the oven door, the gingerbread man stood up, leaped out of the oven, and ran across the room and out the door. She yelled at him to stop, but the gingerbread man kept running and shouting, “run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man!”

The little old man saw what was happening and began to chase after the gingerbread man, along with the little old woman. But he was too fast for them. He just kept running and shouting, “run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man!” In all, the gingerbread man ran past a cow, a horse, and a pig. They all yelled at him to stop, but he wouldn’t, he kept running and taunting them, “run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man!”

Soon, the gingerbread man came upon a fox. He told the fox how he had just outrun a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, and a pig, and he could outrun the fox too. But the fox feigned indifference; he was not interested in a gingerbread man, or so he pretended. So, the gingerbread man stopped running and decided to rest. As he was talking to the fox, the fox opened his mouth and clamped down on the gingerbread man. And that, was the end of the gingerbread man.

Shortly after we had heard this story, our teachers decided they were going to stage for us a “runaway” gingerbread man, although we, of course, did not know at the time that the whole thing was staged. They told us one day that we were going to take a trip down to the cafeteria, for there was a surprise awaiting us there.

So we all lined up and made our way to the cafeteria. As soon as we walked through the doors of the cafeteria, there, sitting on a sheet tray, was the most beautiful gingerbread man cookie we had ever seen. He was a brownish hue, had a twinkle in his eye, and bright red buttons down his chest. He was simply beautiful. And the aroma coming from this fresh-baked gingerbread cookie was heavenly.

Our teachers told us the gingerbread man cookie had just come out of the oven and needed to cool. But as soon as he was cool enough to eat we would all get to taste him. But we would have to wait for him to cool completely. So disappointedly, we all made our way back to our classroom to resume our day, and to allow the gingerbread cookie time to cool.

When the time arrived for us to make our way back to the cafeteria, we could hardly contain our excitement. Finally, we would get to taste the yummy gingerbread cookie.

But when we walked through the doors of the cafeteria we were shocked to see the sheet tray, which had previously held the gingerbread cookie, now empty.

We stood there in stunned silence. We were told that shortly after we had left, one of the cafeteria workers went to check on him, and to her complete disbelief, discovered he was gone. “What happened to the gingerbread cookie?” She searched all over for him, and several more people joined in the search. But it was hopeless; the gingerbread man cookie was nowhere to be found. What a coincidence that this gingerbread man cookie would simply take off just like the Gingerbread Man in the story.

Because we were so young and naïve, we believed this story to be true. But of course, when you mature and begin to get more personal and life experience, you know that it’s not possible for a gingerbread cookie to get up off of a sheet tray and run away. But as an impressionable young child, you simply believe what you are told. Why would you question those whom you trust? In this case we trusted our teachers, and that the story they told us about the runaway gingerbread man cookie was true.

When we are young, we have child-like faith. It’s easier for us to believe that the things we would normally call “impossible” are possible. When we are young, we can see ourselves as kings and princesses. And in our innocent minds we are able to slay the dragon or ride off into the sunset with a handsome prince. Anything we can dream of is possible with our child-like faith. If we can see it and believe it, we can have it, be it, or achieve it.

But something shifts when we become adults. Our life experiences, disappointments, and often listening to the naysayers around us makes it impossible for us to retain that child-like faith. This also often transfers over into our spiritual lives.

When we become adults, because of our experiences, it becomes harder to have a child-like faith in God. We find it difficult to simply take God at His word; we want physical, tangible proof before we can believe Him. But this, unfortunately, puts a strain on our relationship with God. It’s impossible to please God without faith. If we don’t trust God completely, how can we effectively serve Him? To serve God we must know Him and trust Him.

“IN THE FAITH REALM, THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS”

Faith takes us out of our normal, everyday realm where there are barriers and limitations. In the faith realm, there are no limitations. If we can elevate ourselves past the barriers that have governed our lives and limited us, and reach into the supernatural realm where there truly are no limitations, then we will begin to see miracles happen in our lives. We will begin to see God move in our lives because God responds to our faith.

God moves in response to, and according to our faith. If we can get back our child-like faith in God then we will begin to see our bodies healed, our minds set free, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and blind eyes opened. Faith makes the impossible, possible. It’s all according to our faith.

How many times have we seen in the Bible where Jesus told someone, “your faith has made you well.” If He sensed that someone had the faith to be healed, He healed them. He, after all, said that He came to earth to do the Father’s will. Jesus was sent to heal the sick, preach the gospel to the poor, give sight to the blind, and restore a lost and dying man back to the Father. God wants our bodies to prosper as well as our souls.

So what are you waiting for? Where is your faith in God? Do you believe God? Do you trust Him? Are you willing to have child-like faith in God? If He says it in His word, simply believe.

Welcome to my blog ~ Jeanita Jinnah

We are on a mission to wake up the church, and prepare them for Christ's return. It's time to come out of complacency, sin, and ignorance. We must know what God requires of us as Christians and followers of Christ. We're OnOurWay2Heaven!